ALGERIA: The first of 17 six-car Coradia Polyvalent electro-diesel multiple-units which national railway SNTF ordered from Alstom in July 2015 is now undergoing dynamic trials at the Velim test centre in the Czech Republic. Once the trials at Velim are complete, the 160 km/h trainset will go to the French test site at Bar-le-Duc where SNTF staff will be trained ahead of delivery.
The trainset is expected cover more than 30 000 km during 400 h of testing which is being undertaken at Velim over 2½ months. The SNTF units will be similar to those operated by France’s SNCF under the Régiolis brand, but adapted for Algeria conditions. This will include protection against sand, and powerful air-conditioning which has been tested in the climate chamber at Alstom’s site in La Rochelle to verify performance in temperatures up to 55°C.
‘It is the rigorous nature of these tests that guarantees not only the smooth running of the trains but also the control of all norms to guarantee maximum safety for both SNTF and its passengers’, said Henri Bussery, Managing Director for Alstom in Algeria, on December 19. ‘The first train has been manufactured in strict adherence to the schedule and we are working on keeping our commitments to our customer’s complete satisfaction.’